1970s cabinets with heavy face frames
Wide frames and lots of visible wood between the doors look dated. Larger, full-overlay doors hide most of the frame after refacing.
Serving Downers Grove & nearby Lisle, Woodridge
Cabinet Refacing in Downers Grove, IL
New doors, drawer fronts and matching skins on the cabinet boxes you already have in Downers Grove, with your counters left in place.
- Crews working in Downers Grove ZIP 60515, 60516
- Most jobs done in days, with your kitchen still usable
- Samples and a written quote before we start
Cabinet problems refacing solves in Downers Grove
Refacing keeps the cabinet boxes, countertops and plumbing in your Downers Grove kitchen and replaces everything you see: new doors and drawer fronts, veneer or laminate skins on the face frames and end panels, and new hinges and pulls. The result looks like a new set of cabinets without a tear-out.
Drawers that stick or slam
Worn roller slides and wobbly drawer boxes are an easy upgrade during refacing, since the fronts come off anyway.
Old exposed hinges and loose doors
Loose, exposed hinges are replaced along with the doors. Concealed soft-close hinges come standard in most of our refacing jobs.
Door style that dates the kitchen
Arched cathedral doors and heavy raised panels say a lot about when a kitchen was built. New Shaker, slab or flat-panel doors change the style on the same boxes.
Laminate cabinets with loose edges
Peeling edge strips on flat laminate doors are a common reason to reface. We check how well the surface will hold a new skin before quoting.
Can't be without a kitchen for long
Your sink, range and fridge keep working during refacing. We work cabinet by cabinet and clean up each day.
Need a few extra cabinets
New cabinets can be built to match the refaced ones, so an added pantry or a wider range of storage fits in.
Peeling thermofoil
Vinyl film lifting near the oven or dishwasher cannot be glued back for long. Refacing replaces those doors and fronts and gives the frames a new matching surface.
What the work covers
- Removing doors, fronts and hingesWe take off and haul away the old doors, fronts and hardware.
- Surface prepFrames and ends are cleaned, degreased and sanded so the new veneer bonds properly.
- Veneer on face framesFace frames are covered with wood veneer or laminate that matches the new doors, trimmed tight at every edge.
- New doors and drawer frontsEvery door and drawer front is built to your sizes in the style and color you chose.
- Concealed hingesWe install concealed soft-close hinges and adjust each door for even gaps.
- Pulls and knobsKnobs and pulls go on in the layout you pick, drilled square and level.
- Final adjustment and cleanupWe fine-tune every gap, clean the kitchen and go through the work together.
Materials and finishes
Two-tone and wood-plus-paintPainted perimeter cabinets with a wood-veneer island is a popular refacing combination.
Door stylesShaker suits almost any house; slab doors fit a modern, minimal kitchen.
Painted MDF and solid wood doorsPainted doors use MDF panels that will not crack at the joints; stained doors use hardwood.
Real wood veneerWood veneer gives frames and ends the same grain and color as stained wood doors.
High-pressure laminateLaminate resists scratches and moisture well and works for a flat, modern look.
What the work looks like in Downers Grove homes
Before
In progress
After
DetailA Downers Grove 1960s ranch: before and after
A 1960s ranch near E.H. Prince Subdivision, a typical kitchen for Downers Grove. The kitchen as it was: 1970s dark pecan-stained cabinets. What bothered the owners most: heavy wood frames that made the room feel old. The result: new five-piece shaker doors in creamy white uppers and navy lowers on the existing boxes, matching face-frame veneer and unlacquered brass knobs and cup pulls. The job covered surface prep, concealed hinges, plus pulls and knobs.
Before
AfterCabinet Refacing in a 1990s two-story colonial, Lisle
A 1990s two-story colonial near Oakview, a typical kitchen for Lisle. What we started with: golden-oak cabinets with oak soffits above. What bothered the owners most: heavy wood frames that made the room feel old. The result: new five-piece shaker doors in warm white on the existing boxes, matching face-frame veneer and satin brass pulls. On site this meant veneer on face frames, new doors and drawer fronts, plus final adjustment and cleanup.
Cabinet Refacing in Lisle →
Before
AfterAn Oak Brook 1970s split-level: before and after
A 1970s split-level in Oak Brook, a typical kitchen for Oak Brook. What we started with: dark stained oak cabinets with wide face frames and a scalloped wood valance over the sink. The main complaint was dated wood doors on solid boxes. After: new flat slab doors with a thin edge in warm white on the existing boxes, matching face-frame veneer and brushed nickel bar pulls. On site this meant veneer on face frames, new doors and drawer fronts, plus concealed hinges.
Cabinet Refacing in Oak Brook →
Before
AfterBefore and after: a postwar Cape Cod in Downers Grove
What changed: new five-piece shaker doors and drawer fronts in sage green with matte black pulls.
Cabinet Door & Drawer Front Replacement in Downers Grove →
Before
AfterDowners Grove kitchen, postwar Cape Cod: kitchen cabinet installation & replacement
New cabinets in light gray uppers and dusty rose lowers with matte black pulls, installed level and ready for warm walnut butcher block counters.
Kitchen Cabinet Installation & Replacement in Downers Grove →How your cabinet refacing goes
- Visit and box checkWe inspect the boxes, measure every opening and show door styles and samples.
- Choose style and finishYou pick the door style, material, color and hardware from samples in your own kitchen.
- Doors are madeDoors, fronts and skins are built to your measurements while the kitchen stays as it is.
- Install on siteOld doors come off, frames and ends are skinned, new doors and hardware go on, usually over a few days.
- Adjust and walk-throughEvery door and drawer is aligned and we go over the finished kitchen with you.
Cabinet Refacing questions from Downers Grove homeowners
Which cabinet colors will age well?
Warm whites, soft greens, mid-tone wood and deep blues have staying power. Very cool, flat grays are what many owners now want to replace.
Can you reface laminate or thermofoil cabinets?
Usually. Peeling thermofoil doors are simply replaced, and laminate frames are prepped for a new skin if they are in good condition.
Refacing or just new doors?
New doors alone leave the face frames as they are, so the frames must be painted or stained to match. Refacing also covers the frames and ends in new veneer.
Is it cheaper to reface or replace cabinets?
Refacing usually costs much less than new cabinets, mainly because counters, plumbing and the boxes stay in place.
Can water-damaged cabinets be refaced?
Yes, once the leak is stopped and the damaged parts are rebuilt. We include that repair in the estimate.
Which Downers Grove homes do you most often see for cabinet refacing?
In Downers Grove we see Mix of housing from mid-19th century onward, Sears and other kit homes and Frequent teardowns replaced by new houses. Each comes with its own walls, wiring and plumbing, and we plan the job around them.
Do I need a permit for cabinet refacing in Downers Grove?
It depends on the scope. Downers Grove's rule in short: Village states most projects require a permit and applications are submitted online; First review about 10 business days. We handle the permit when one is needed with Community Development Department, Building Division.
Do you work in my part of Downers Grove?
Yes. Our crews work across Downers Grove, including Denburn Woods, Shady Lane Estates, E.H. Prince Subdivision — ZIP 60515, 60516 — and nearby Lisle, Woodridge, Oak Brook.
Working in Downers Grove
- A lot of Downers Grove kitchens date from the 1970s. We know these layouts well and what is worth keeping.
- Most Downers Grove homes are single-family. We protect floors and driveways and leave the site clean every day.
- Live in a historic district? Interior kitchen work is usually not reviewed. We check before anything touches the exterior.
Denburn WoodsShady Lane EstatesE.H. Prince Subdivision
ZIP 60515ZIP 60516
Cabinet Refacing nearby
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Other kitchen services in Downers Grove
Cabinet Door & Drawer Front ReplacementReplacement doors and drawer fronts in any style.
Kitchen Cabinet Installation & ReplacementNew cabinets installed, leveled and ready for counters.
Custom Kitchen CabinetsBuilt-to-fit cabinetry up to the ceiling.
Kitchen RemodelingFull kitchen remodels, from layout to last cabinet pull.
Kitchen Cabinet PaintingFactory-smooth painted cabinets without replacing them.